HE WAS JUST A BABY — POLICE OFFICER REVEALS WHY HE SHOT BELOVED DONKEY HEEHAW DURING MISSING CHILD SEARCH

A one-year-old donkey named HeeHaw was supposed to live for decades. Instead, his life ended during a late-night police search for a missing child.

Now, the officer who fired the fatal shot has given his account of what happened — while HeeHaw’s devastated owner is demanding answers and preparing to take legal action.

The incident happened shortly after midnight on August 30, 2026, at Elsberry Riding and Farm in Rockmart, Georgia.

Police officers were searching the property while trying to locate a missing 12-year-old girl.

The child was eventually found safe at a nearby church.

But before that happened, something else went terribly wrong.

HeeHaw, a miniature donkey who had been bottle-raised from birth and was described by his owner as a beloved member of the family, was fatally shot by a Cedartown police officer.

The officer, identified as Trenton Garner, has now explained why he says he opened fire.

And his account is being sharply disputed by HeeHaw’s owner, Hannah Israel.

THE OFFICER’S VERSION OF EVENTS

According to an incident report, Garner and other officers were following a trail through the property while searching for the missing girl.

A K-9 handler and a bloodhound team were also involved.

The officers eventually entered an area containing animals.

Garner reported that horses became spooked and that the team continued through the pasture.

Then they encountered HeeHaw.

According to Garner’s account, the donkey began moving toward the officers.

He described the animal as charging at them.

A K-9 handler reportedly attempted to use a Taser on HeeHaw.

According to the officer’s report, the electrical device did not stop the donkey.

Garner then drew his department-issued Glock 17 and fired one round.

HeeHaw was struck.

The young donkey reportedly continued moving before eventually collapsing.

He died at the scene.

BUT HIS OWNER SAYS HEEHAW WAS NO THREAT

Hannah Israel remembers the same animal very differently.

To her, HeeHaw was not an aggressive farm animal.

He was her baby.

Israel said she bottle-raised him from approximately one hour after birth and even raised him inside her home.

He participated in petting zoos and was accustomed to being around people.

She described him as friendly, affectionate and trusting.

In other words, Israel says, HeeHaw was exactly the kind of animal who might approach a stranger because he wanted to say hello.

She has strongly disputed the suggestion that his behavior justified the shooting.

Israel has said officers told her they attempted to use a Taser after HeeHaw approached them, but she believes the donkey was simply behaving normally.

She also questioned why officers entered the property and pasture without notifying the family.

She has since hired an attorney and said she intends to pursue legal action.

THE LAST VIDEO MAKES THE STORY EVEN MORE HEARTBREAKING

As the controversy grew, Israel shared what she described as one of the final videos of HeeHaw.

The footage was recorded just days before his death.

In it, the young donkey approaches Israel and affectionately rubs his head against her.

It is a striking contrast to the description of the animal as a threat.

For Israel, the video captures the HeeHaw she knew.

A playful, affectionate animal who followed her around the farm.

A donkey she considered part of her family.

Not an animal she believed anyone should have feared.

The video has since circulated widely online, intensifying public calls for the full circumstances of the shooting to be examined.

WHY WERE POLICE ON THE PROPERTY?

That question has become another major point of controversy.

Officers were searching for a missing 12-year-old girl, making the situation a serious emergency.

The child was eventually found safely at a church close to the pasture.

But Israel has questioned how officers entered her property and whether the encounter with HeeHaw could have been handled differently.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has clarified that its deputies were not involved in the shooting, although law enforcement personnel were assisting with the search.

Cedartown police have acknowledged the incident and placed the officer on administrative leave.

BODYCAM FOOTAGE COULD HOLD THE ANSWERS

One crucial piece of evidence has not been publicly released in full: body-camera footage.

Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsome confirmed that body-camera video exists and that he has viewed it.

However, he has declined to publicly characterize what the footage shows while the investigation continues.

That footage could become critical.

It may help investigators determine how close HeeHaw was to the officers, how quickly the encounter unfolded, whether the donkey actually charged, what happened during the attempted Taser deployment and how much time passed before the fatal shot was fired.

For now, the public is largely left with competing accounts.

The officer says he believed he was facing a threat.

The owner says her beloved donkey was simply approaching people in the way he always did.

THE STATE IS NOW INVESTIGATING

The Georgia Department of Agriculture Law Enforcement Division has taken over the investigation into the circumstances surrounding HeeHaw’s death.

Officials have said the investigation will be conducted independently and that the facts will determine what happens next.

Garner remains on administrative leave while the investigation proceeds.

No final determination has been announced regarding whether the shooting violated department policy or Georgia law.

That distinction is important.

At this stage, the investigation has not concluded that the officer acted improperly.

But neither has it established that the shooting was justified.

Those questions remain open.

THE FARM WILL NEVER BE THE SAME

For Israel, however, the legal process cannot bring HeeHaw back.

She has described the farm as feeling completely different without him.

He had only recently celebrated his first birthday.

Donkeys can live for decades under normal circumstances.

Israel had imagined HeeHaw remaining part of her family for years — even growing up alongside her future children.

Instead, she found herself grieving the animal she had raised from infancy.

“He was my kid,” she has said.

The family has launched a fundraiser to support the farm and its remaining animals, while Israel has also announced plans for a HeeHaw Foundation in his memory.

The fundraiser has now surpassed $130,000, according to recent reporting.

A SEARCH FOR ONE CHILD ENDED WITH ANOTHER FAMILY LOSING THEIRS

The original police operation had a simple goal: find a missing 12-year-old girl.

That child was eventually located safely.

But during the search, a one-year-old donkey lost his life.

Now an independent investigation must determine exactly what happened in those few moments inside the dark pasture.

Was HeeHaw truly charging at the officers?

Did the Taser fail to stop him?

Was the officer facing an imminent threat?

Could the encounter have ended differently?

And what does the body-camera footage show?

Those questions remain unanswered.

For now, there are two very different stories surrounding the same heartbreaking moment.

To the officer, HeeHaw was an animal he believed was coming toward him as a threat.

To Hannah Israel, he was the baby she raised from birth — a gentle donkey who thought every stranger was someone to greet.

The state investigation will now have to determine which version is supported by the evidence.